Time is short. Hell is real.

Only One Remedy

In verses 42-48 Jesus warned us about a place where, “Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”

Dr. David Jeremiah, in his book What in the World is Going On?, talks about the two men Satan will use during the Tribulation. These two men are called the Anti-Christ (or the Beast) and the False Prophet. Revelation 19.20 says that at the end of the Tribulation:

“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”

Notice these two were cast “alive” into the lake of fire.

Satan himself will also be cast into that lake of fire, but first he will be locked up for 1,000 years. At the end of that 1,000-year time period:

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20.10).

Did you get that? 1,000 years later the Beast (Anti-Christ) and the False Prophet are still alive and still being tormented. Dr. Jeremiah quotes Harry Ironside, “The lake of fire is neither annihilation nor purgatorial because it neither annihilates nor purifies these two fallen foes of God and man after a thousand years under judgment.”

The Anti-Christ and the False Prophet are not the only ones in danger of hell’s eternal torment. Jesus warned in this passage that we all are, unless we have dealt with the sin in our lives (Mk. 9.42-48).

But there is only one remedy for sin and that’s the cross of Christ. We can never be good enough on our own to avoid hell’s fury. We can’t be religious enough or do enough good works. Our good works won’t be weighed against our bad. We don’t spend time in purgatory to pay off our sin debt.

We will never get to heaven on our own. The only way is to come to the end of ourselves, recognize that we are sinners, hopeless and helpless, and desperately in need of a Savior.

On Judgment Day, if God was to ask us, “Why should I let you into heaven?,” there is only one right answer. “I believed in what Your Son did for me on the cross. I accepted it by faith and exchanged my sin for His righteousness.”

If we have done that, we don’t need to have any fear about eternity. Instead, we can wait expectantly for the trumpet to sound!

The time is short. Hell is real. We’re all going to live forever. It’s just a matter of where! That should compel us to think soberly about our own relationship with God, and to share the Gospel with everyone we can.

TODAY’S OTHER READINGS:

At the Last Trumpet

Verse 10.1, “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying. ‘Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation ….'”

Trumpets are frequently mentioned in the Bible. They were used here to signal several things: calling the people so Moses could speak to them, calling the leadership, and signaling the time to break camp and move out.

In other places, trumpets were used to call the people to war and to signal other events. But, for us as believers, the greatest trumpet call will be on that day when the church is taken out of the earth and God’s judgment begins …

“[I]n a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15.52).

1 Thessalonians 4.16-17, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God… And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The day is coming when we will be called “out of the camp.” That day may be Continue reading →

During the Tribulation the final Antichrist will rise to power. All those who want to buy and sell will be required wear his name or his number 666 on their right hand or foreheads and all who dwell on earth will be deceived into worshiping him, except those whose names are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.

Also, are the wicked “getting away with murder?” Habakkuk thought so. How about you?

666 & Getting Away with Murder

The Final Anti-Christ & 666

Let’s look at some of these verses:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Satan will summon one of his demons to come up out of the abyss. This demon will control the man who is Antichrist.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

During the Tribulation the final Antichrist will rise to power. That power will come from Satan himself. Many will be deceived into worshiping him and at one point he will, at least appear to, die and be raised from the dead, causing many more to worship him.

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

All but genuine believers will be deceived into worshiping him.

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

This is Antichrist’s sidekick, so to speak. He will promote him and encourage others to worship him. He is the final false prophet. He will force people to wear the mark of the beast if they wish to buy or sell and will have people killed for refusing to worship Antichrist. But those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ and whose names have been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb will be protected from this deception.

It’s encouraging to know that people can and will be saved during the Tribulation, but it will be an unprecedented time of trial and persecution for those who are. And, as I said yesterday, it’s a bittersweet reality that many will reject the truth and continue to do so, in spite of, the events going on.

All the more reason to pray and share the gospel so those God has placed in our paths will be spared from the hardships and terror of that time.

Are the wicked “getting away with murder”?

In chapter 1 Habakkuk has been crying out to God about the sin and wickedness all around him. He sees the righteous being mistreated and wicked people “getting away with murder,” as we might say today. God responds by telling him, he is going to judge the guilty in short order. But He will do so by allowing an even more evil government, the Chaldeans, to come in and take over as an instrument of His judgment.

The prophet is at first shocked and questions God’s method. He reminds God of His own character and points out that the Chaldeans will take the credit and use their success to worship their own false gods and military might.

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, and Biblical counselor. I love sharing God's truth, hopefully in ways that will help you in your walk with God. I'm certified through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, but mostly I'm just a sister in Christ. To read more about me visit my "about me" page. My story may surprise you.